Always A Silver Lining
by Lilly Emerald
Summary: The fast paced life of New York is finally too much for Elena Gilbert. She is sent back to her home town of Mystic Falls a lost and broken soul She barely recognises her childhood friend Damon and he has turned into a man to be admired. Can he help her?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

Elena stared wistfully out of the window of the plane, watching the fluffy white clouds pass her by underneath. A glance at her wristwatch yet again made a soft groan escape her lips. It was only another hour to go. It had been such a long flight already and a restless feeling was slowly overpowering her, making her want to jump up and...and what? Where could she possibly run to when they were so high up? She had been running all her life it seemed and now there was no escape, she didn't seem to be handling things very well.

Life had certainly turned into one big fucking mess for her. Wondering if sleep would help, Elena forced her eyes closed, but this was a very bad idea. Instantly images of the last few days in New York flooded her and the thought of being sick washed over her, only passing when she opened her eyes again. It's all your fault. The words echoed in her mind every second of the day because they were the truth. Everything had been her fault, every damned thing.

Her days in the big apple had seemed to be what dreams were made of. She never had to work, living off an allowance given to her by her parents, who were very, very rich. There was only charity work to do two or three times a week, were the conditions of her mother, minute chores for her really. She had her own apartment that looked like a place a movie star would live in, or a model or a singer. There was her own king size bed and walk in wardrobe and a Jacuzzi. A beautifully elegant bathroom and her very own maid and cook. Waking up in the mornings whenever she wanted, Elena would have breakfast in bed, followed by a long and lazy bath or a shower. Then she would spend a good couple of hours getting ready, choosing her outfits carefully by design or by colour, it all depended on her mood, or how hung over she was from the night before. Elena needed very little make up thank God, even though she had a tone of it. Just a little powder, eye shadow and lip gloss. Elena would stand before the mirror after spraying some perfume on her wrists and stare into the mirror thinking how lucky she was to be her, how beautiful her life was. Then she would go out into the world and ruin it all.

Meeting new people had always been her speciality, and by the time she actually left her apartment it would be time for lunch with friends, and then a shopping trip, just in time for a dinner. Usually the day consisted of lots of wine or cocktails, and a lot of cigarettes. All bad things she should give up, but liked to indulge in. The nights were a different story of course. She would pick a club and then party the hours away, switching to vodka, different spirits and shots. And then there would be all the offers. She was a very popular girl and she would get offers of sex, different drugs. It seemed she had tried everything these days and sometimes she accepted these offers, sometimes she didn't. She had lost count of the guys who had ended up at her apartment or she had ended up at theirs, who had seemed to offer the world to her but the morning after looked like the biggest mistake ever. Or maybe it was she who was the biggest mistake.

It all seemed so normal to her now, her life was beyond fixing. The chaos had all started on a particularly bad night. She had woken up to find her mother flinging open the blinds, her father staring around her apartment in amazement. The guy she had taken home, half naked, was stumbling out of the bathroom after being sick, and the place looked like a bomb had hit it.

"Get out!" her mother had shouted at him angrily, and he had gathered up his things and left, mumbling under his breath. Elena had sat up in bed, rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "What's happening?" her words were still slurred from the alcohol and drugs in her system. She had taken so much it hadn't worn off yet.

"I'm surprised you're still alive," her mother told her in a shaky voice, "But since you are, you may remember a certain charity fundraiser we are organising today, and you promised you'd help us."

She sank back into the soft bed and covered her head with the covers. "No," she mumbled.

"I'm sorry, did you just say no?" her mother snapped. "You know, I knew that something like this would happen. I knew it when you didn't answer any of my calls to your mobile last night, reminding you about today. And I was concerned, but no answer at all. Well, I've had it. I really have. We have always been supportive of you, Elena. But you've had one too many chances and screwed it all up, I mean look at you."

"Please stop going on and on," Elena sat up again and shouted this. It hurt her head even more than it hurt already.

"I've frozen your allowance." Her mother went on relentlessly. "You're going to go and live with your aunt Jenna and cousin Jeremy in Mystic Falls and you're going to talk to someone once a week about you're...addictions. You're going to get a job like everyone else and hopefully join the real world for once in your life."

"You can't do this to me!" Elena shouted at them. "Daddy please make her listen," she had always managed to sweet talk her father into anything, but it seemed he wasn't backing down this time.

"You're mother's right, 'Lena. You're going to destroy yourself if you're not careful. We're only doing what's best for you."

"You never cared about what's best for me. You've only been interested in looking out for yourselves, always. I've been on my own my whole life, you were always at work and, mum, you used to be as bad as me. Look at the troubles between you and daddy, you're on the verge of a divorce for Christ sakes. How can you talk about what's best when you can't even decide what's best?"

Her parents looked at each other, and her father was the first to look away, "You know, most of the time we only argue about you," her mother said sadly. "I'm not supposed to say that to you, but I feel like I have to, to shock you into reason or something. The decision is final. The only way that you get your money back is if we both die. You're getting off easy really. We could have had you sent to rehab. Now, you have half an hour to get ready and meet us there, I mean it. We're already running behind in getting things ready."

She didn't want to remember anymore, she didn't think she could take it. Finally the plane was landing and she was getting up and getting her things together. Meeting Jenna and Jeremy at the airport was a strange experience. Jeremy took her suitcase from her and Jenna was looking at her in an odd way. Like she was happy to see her, but mad at the same time and on the verge of crying.

"Welcome back Elena," Jeremy smiled at her and she smiled back half heartedly. Oh the fun!

...

Being the sheriff of a small town like Mystic Falls would normally be seen as an underachievement to some people, but not to Damon Salvatore. There was enough excitement in the job to still keep him interested, although that was a bad thing. If he really made a difference at all, then surely there shouldn't be any crimes taking place at all and things should be dull but safe. But no sheriff or cop could deny part of the thrill of the job was hitting the streets and playing the hero. He certainly wasn't all hero though. There had been some dark periods in his career and his personal life where the choices he'd made he definitely regretted now, the actions he's taken any other man would have questioned. Sometimes he wouldn't have called himself a good man, apparently what a man of the law is supposed to be. He didn't want to think about any of this really. The things he had had to do to stay on top and what he had done to his girlfriend, Caroline Forbes. A nightmare relationship that had been and he had vowed to never fall in love again when it was all finished. Caroline had said he would be lucky to find anyone to share his life with him. She wasn't the first woman that he had fallen in love with there had been somebody else before her called Katherine Pierce. Katherine had been the picture of perfection and she had chosen his brother, Stefan. Ever since then he had kept women at a distance, not trusting any of them with his heart or life and God only knew why he had let Caroline get her claws hooked into him in the first place. They had both been lonely and needed something he guessed, and it just seemed like an easy option at the time. His friend Alaric had been edging him into it for ages and finally he had let go and agreed. Now, she was with Tyler Lockwood who had apparently liked her first anyway.

Damon had a day off today and he had planned on getting the boys over to celebrate finally moving into his own home. But first some fresh air was needed. He loved walking around town and seeing the community that he helped to protect. Having earned himself a reputation of someone to be afraid, he had earned the town's folk's respect, if there was any trouble he would be the first one they called. It felt nice to be needed like that. His own family certainly had never needed him. He had always been second best, especially to his father, Guiseppe Salvatore. Guiseppe had always favoured Stefan and Damon feared it would always be that way.

He found himself heading to the mystic grill for some much needed food and refreshment, and smiled as he walked in the door at the locals who waved at him and said hello sheriff. Sometimes it was like being a celebrity.

"Well, hello, Mr Salvatore," Bonnie Bennett smiled down at him appreciatively as she rushed forward to take his order. "What would be your pleasure today?" it was a strange choice of words and then he realised she was flirting with him, as all women who laid eyes on him seemed to do. He told her his order.

"It'll be ready soon," she promised him, turning away to take the order out into the kitchen. She was soon back though. "Did you hear the news, Damon?" she asked in more friendly tones, less professional. He had known Bonnie a long time, as he and Alaric were here a lot.

"News?" he shook his head, confused. Usually he was always the one to hear any news first. "I'm out of the loop today, Bonnie. Day off."

She nodded in understanding. "Well, Elena Gilbert is back in town!"

Damon stared at her in disbelief. "Wow. That is news. The last time she was here, she said, and I quote, I hope that one day I can leave this crap hole of a town and never come back. Then her parents moved and she never did come back."

He stared into his coffee frowning in concentration, once Bonnie left him to it. Elena. He hadn't thought of her in years and he suddenly wondered how she was doing, what she looked like. He only had one picture of her, bright eyed and sweet sixteen. They had been best friends, with two years between them though he had never thought of her in any other way, until his graduation day. He had been eighteen and just broken up with Katherine and she had been a shoulder to cry on. Not wanting to go to any of the parties on offer the night he graduated, he had spent the evening with Elena, talking about everything and nothing at all. She had made him laugh and they had played drinking games and shared cigarettes. She wasn't an innocent sweet sixteen, he knew that much. But she was a good person and they had shared a kiss. He would always remember that kiss, but they had both regretted it afterwards, not wanting to spoil the friendship they had and he didn't want her to feel like he was rebounding on her after Katherine, and that is what would have happened.

He shook his head and drank his coffee. That had been six, seven years ago. He was twenty five and she would be, 23. He knew he was a young sheriff, but he had been very lucky with opportunities. He wondered what she would think of his job and who he had become. She knew of his plans to be a cop and had always found it incredibly funny.

That final thought decided him. He was going to go see her today, and soon. He found that he suddenly missed her company and was excited to see her again. Paying for the coffee and his breakfast, he walked out of the door with a smile on his face, wondering what to expect.

...

Elena opened the door blurry eyed and squinting as she had just woken up and there was the sound of very loud knocking vibrating through the house. She threw open the front door almost violently, wearing nothing but denim shorts and a strappy black top. "Whoever you are, whatever you want I'm not interested," she snapped, expecting a cold caller of some description trying to sell her something . "You're very annoying knocking is giving me a headache."

"Elena?" the man's voice was voice was deep and full of concern, and a feeling of recognition and alarm rushed through her. "It's me."

She stared up at him in shock. "Damon" her voice was a whisper and she suddenly felt the very strong urge to faint.

TBC

I know that Damon ia little out of character, being a man of the law, lol, but bare with me. This is my first attempt at writing an M rated story so please, pretty please review and let me know what you think?


	2. Chapter 2

Wow, thank you so much for all of your reviews. For some strange reason though, Fan fiction is not letting me see any of my reviews, luckily a friend helped me to read them, but it is not showing up on my actual account when I click on the story. that's why I haven't replied to any of them! On with the story

Chapter Two

Elena had passed out a few times in her young life, mostly due to how she abused her body or not eating enough. She had even been taken to hospital to have her stomach pumped, not a great experience, very embarrassing and one she wanted to forget, but it hadn't stopped her doing all the things that were bad for her. None of those times had she wanted to faint, it had always been a mistake when she took things too far and it felt horrible. But now she wanted nothing more than to collapse into sweet oblivion.

Damon Salvatore. God, how long had it been since they had last seen each other? Seven years, was it really that long? How must she look to him right this second? A complete and utter mess, that's how. What was happening to her? The old Elena that she had been only a few seconds ago, the girl who, although everyone wanted to be around her, never had a close friend or emotional ties with anyone, who although she wanted to lose control all the time always knew exactly what she was doing, she was turning in to a nervous wreck. The Elena who wouldn't think twice about using a guy or a friend to get what she wanted actually had that unfamiliar feeling of butterflies fluttering around in her stomach.

"So, I heard you were back in town and I thought we could catch up?" he asked her lightly, his eyes looking up and down her half naked body, a flicker of a movement, very subtle and she couldn't quite read him clearly. She used to be good at knowing what he was thinking and feeling, and now it was all just so, awkward. It was for her anyway, how should she start a let's get to know each other conversation? She had always had such big plans of leaving Mystic Fall and being a famous singer or actress or dancer or writer or model, someone who made a difference somehow and all she could say now was, well Damon, I royally screwed up my life what have you been up to lately?

"This isn't really a good time," she said, knowing her voice was a little cold, a lot distant, and hardly how you would great an old friend from the past at all. She could sense the hurt in him and hesitated. "Ok but, I should probably get changed," The old Elena wouldn't have said that at all. Once, she had even opened up the door to a sales guy, thought he was cute, invited him in and next thing you know they were fucking all over her apartment and even in the Jacuzzi. But she somehow couldn't be that way with Damon. When they had been teenagers, she had always appreciated the Salvatore charm. He had had a way about him that girls couldn't resist, and that was partly the reason she had begun to hang out with the brother's in the first place. But she wasn't that shallow. She had gotten to know a side to Damon he hardly ever showed anyone else, but she had fallen into the deadly friend trap. They had kissed once, but nothing had ever come of it and she had just assumed it was better that way.

Now though, he had turned into an even more stunning human being and she felt pale in comparison. He had obviously worked hard at becoming the best he could be.

"You don't have to," he started to say and she smiled. Maybe he had his flaws too, because she could instantly tell he hadn't meant to say those words.

"Shit, Elena I'm sorry. I just meant, hell, I'm just going to say it. You look good."

She laughed, starting to relax as she invited him in. "I'm glad you think so because I sure don't feel like it. I hate long flights."

He nodded. "I won't stay long I promise. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. See if we could arrange a night out or a dinner or something more appropriate."

She stared at him in wonder "Since when did you care about appropriate?"

"I guess I've grown up a lot."

There was a silence and she felt worse than ever. She may have grown up too, but some people would say she acted like a sixteen year old still.

"Total head fuck," she muttered as she rushed up the stairs to put on some jeans. How was it that nothing her parents had ever said had made her think about anything and just a look from her one time best friend had her falling to pieces?

Soon she was back downstairs and pouring him coffee, wanting to make a good impression. Since when had she cared what other people thought about her?

"So I'm the sheriff now," he dropped the bomb shell quickly and it almost made her drop the kettle as she was pouring.

"Excuse me?"

He smiled at her reaction. "I'm just getting the big life changing stuff out the way. Now it's your turn"

Ok, she thought. You don't want to spend the next few months or weeks or whatever lying to him and pretending to be someone you're not, do you?

"Go on 'Lena. You must have loads of stories about New York?"

She grimaced. Deep breaths, deep breaths. "I've got a few. But you might not want to hear about them."

He raised an eye brow. "It can't be all that bad right?"

She shrugged. "Well, since you're all about doing what's right these days, we might not be able to be seen being friends. It might not be good for your reputation." She hadn't meant that to sound as harsh as it did but she couldn't help it. Suddenly she knew exactly what to say to distract him and she knew it was lousy of her to avoid the truth, but she really wasn't ready yet. She just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"My parents died in a car crash a few days ago," she said abruptly. "That's part of the reason I've come back here."

He was shocked. "Jesus I'm sorry. I don't know what to say."

"There's nothing you can say. What's done is done and you can't change it."

"But if you need to talk, you know where I am, ok?"

She sensed that she had made him feel bad, but why wasn't he leaving? Most guy when they sensed a girl was in a fragile state of mind tended to run away as fast as they could. Damon wasn't running anywhere.

"Ok," she whispered.

"Let's watch a film," he said suddenly.

Elena's eyes widened in surprise "A film?"

"Yeah, you know, one of your favourite films."

"I didn't exactly own many DVD' in New York Damon."

He looked puzzled. "What kind of person doesn't own DVD's? Ok, we'll go rent one. I don't even mind if it's a chick flick but that way we can spend the day together, as it's my day off. And sooner or later, you're going to tell me the rest of what' bothering you. "

"Why are you being so damned nice?" no guy was ever this nice to her, ever. It was always just sex; she never bothered with anything else, unless they had drugs to offer her as well. Then she let them stay...for a few hours, never a whole day. How could she tell Damon that was who she was now and that the reason he didn't have any books or DVD's with her, or even many photograph's of her and her parent's was because she was out all the time with stranger's?

Damon was looking at her intently and even though they were right next to each other, it felt like they were miles apart and would have to get to know each other all over again. Did she want that effort?

"Come one, you know you want to, all the popcorn? It's very tempting."

She didn't know what she wanted. With her parent's dead she had inherited everything they owned but she hadn't even wanted any of it, so she had still come here because that had been the last thing they had wanted. It must have meant a small part of her wanted to change but she wouldn't admit it yet. Maybe it was good that she had come home, not about her parent's death, but now she had met Damon again...she wondered if he felt the same intense attraction that she felt for him, or if he still thought of her as reliable, agony Aunt Elena? Maybe he should make the effort to be his friend again; she needed all the friends she could get. But this time, hopefully, they could get passed the friend zone and become, something more. If he wasn't so messed up that she ended up pushing him away completely. Unless he was so freaked out by what she had to tell him. He was a sheriff though, surely he could handle it?

"Popcorn sounds good to me," slipping on her shoes and grabbing her bag, she followed him out of the house.

He glanced back at her with that grin that could melt even the coldest person's heart. "Then you'll tell me?"

She nodded with determination. "Then I'll tell you."

TBC I really hope you like this chapter, can't write anymore because I'm off out soon, but there should be another update hopefully soon. Pretty please continue reviewing and let me know what you think!


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